Occupational skin injury by hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in products such as rocket fuel, bleaching preparations and topical disinfectants. Contact of hydrogen peroxide with the skin can cause severe skin damage. In this report, we describe a case of skin injury induced by hydrogen peroxide. The patient was a 34-year-old man working in a dry cleaning shop. While he was pouring 35% hydrogen peroxide, some of it accidentally splashed over his left shoulder and back, and then an erythema, purpura and vacuolar eruption, similar to bubble wrap, appeared on his left shoulder and down the left side of his back. Histologically, numerous vacuolar structures were observed in the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Coupled with the clinical features, these vacuolar structures were considered as 'oxygen bubbles'. Subcutaneous emphysema was detected by chest X-ray examination. All skin eruptions rapidly healed without scarring by using a steroid ointment. As far as we know, this is the first time such clinical and histological features have been described Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.